Disabled man to visit every London Tube station in a day for charity

A man suffering with cerebral palsy and epilepsy plans to highlight the accessibility problems for those with disabilities by visiting every London Tube stop in one day. The 26-year-old will attempt to access all 270 stations, many of which he normally avoids during rush hour to avoid using the stairs when they are crowded. Whilst aids such as stairlifts can help in the home, efforts still need to be made to make public spaces just as accessible.

The young man was inspired to complete the challenge after arriving at Liverpool Street station to discover that there was only platform that offered a step-free route out of the building. Ben Holt, who was on the wrong side of the tracks, was forced to stop the escalator, risking a hefty fine in order to help himself out of the station.

London Underground often fails disabled and elderly passengers

This is just one of 76 per cent of the London Tube stations that are not accessible to disabled or mobility restricted passengers, and identifies the frustrations that many encounter on a daily basis. It also highlights how much of a challenge visiting the 270 stations across 26 London boroughs will be for Ben, who has cerebral palsy, and will hopefully raise enough awareness to encourage further plans to make the London Underground more accessible, on top of those that have already been proposed.

Upon completion of the challenge, Ben will be the first disabled person to complete the route, and has set the bar high with hopes of beating the current world record of 16 hours and 20 minutes. He will be stopping at each station in order to have his photograph taken, and will finish his attempt by reaching Epping station. In some instances, Ben will have to go forward one stop and return via another because of the lack of access, which is a reality many disabled tube users face daily.

Image Credit: whatleydude (Flickr.com)